1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus having a head/ink tank separable/detachable type ink-jet cartridge in which a detachable ink-jet recording head and a detachable ink tank for reserving Ink to be supplied to the ink-jet recording head are united, and is to a method of recovering the ink-jet recording apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional ink-jet recording apparatus usually comprises a semi-permanently usable head (hereafter, permanent head), and a detachable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the permanent head via an ink supply means such as a tube. However, when a permanent head is employed, it is hard to eliminate an accidental failure caused by nozzles clogged with dust or a time-sequential failure caused by a deteriorated jet element. To solve this problem of poor reliability the recording apparatus itself possesses, a special maintenance service system must have been organized to keep offering optimal recording performance. From the viewpoint of improved system reliability, the recording head, which is liable to failures, must be able to be replaced periodically at given intervals. From the viewpoint of easy replacement, the recording head must be able to be replaced reliably in units of a given amount of ink. In an effort to meet these requirements, an ink-jet recording apparatus using a detachable head cartridge (hereafter, detachable head) in which an ink tank and an ink head are united has been put to practical use.
However, when a detachable head is employed, a usable amount of ink cannot be set to be large. This is intended to ensure reliability and is attributable to the size and weight of the detachable head itself. As a result, a running cost becomes higher than that when a permanent head is employed. When the ink is used up, even if a head drive function works satisfactorily, the head must be discarded. This may evoke a latent problem of environmental contamination which is a worldwide concern these days. To cope with this problem, an ink-jetrecording apparatus in which a head and an ink tank are replaceable independently of each other has been proposed. This ink-jetrecording apparatus offers excellent reliability by exploiting the feature of a detachable head, hardly increases the operating cost, and assists in conserving global environments.
Typically, in a conventional transferred information processing method, generally, programs-for transmitting commands from a host to a printer are written so that the commands will be sent according to the command control system of the printer, and the commands are transferred sequentially via a printer driver.
In a recording apparatus using an ink tank/head detachable type ink-jetrecording head which is constructed as described above, a large number of parts are required to indicate numerous items that must be indicated appropriately, such as ink tank replacement time and a head replacement time, and items for selecting an optimal suction recovery sequence depending on whether the ink tank alone or the head alone is replaced. This is not cost-efficient at all. Moreover, since numerous items are padded to a narrow display area, each item becomes indiscernible.
On the other hand, in information processing, given commands for a printer are entered using dedicated keys on the printer. A command cannot be transferred as an interrupt to the printer using a keyboard of a host. When this kind of system is used, a large number of dedicated keys must be formed on a printer to implement diverse printing control functions or printing modes. This cannot help but increase the size of a printer that is supposed to be compact. Such an increase in size not preferred. Furthermore, a command or mode that must be executed or activated at once cannot be specified as an interrupt due to greatly diversified modes. Thus, the operability is unsatisfactory.
One of problems of the ink-jet recording apparatus having the aforesaid construction, as pointed out by the present inventor, is that a recovery procedure different from a normal head recovery procedure must be executed when a recording head or an ink tank is replaced. For example, when an ink tank is replaced, bubbles may enter an ink supply path located between the ink tank and a recording head. The bubbles must be removed prior to recording. Furthermore, recording characteristics specified in the process of manufacturing a recording head may deteriorate as time passes. Therefore, when a recording head is replaced, special preliminary jet or other run-in (aging) must be carried out to recover the recording characteristics, or thickened ink that has stuck to jet nozzles during physical distribution must be removed. A different recovery procedure may be required depending on a state that a recording head is mounted on and secured to a carriage which scans together with the recording head, or on a state that a recording head and an ink tank are joined with an ink supply path.
On the other hand, a recording head must be controlled electrically. Therefore, when the recording head is mounted and secured, how to the recording head is electrically coupled with a carriage becomes significant. Furthermore, how an ink supply path is connected is critical even when solid ink is employed. When liquid ink is employed, in particular measures must be taken to prevent leakage of ink from the location at which the ink supply path is connected. This is because leaked ink messes up the interior of a system, spoils recording paper, or stains hands. When it comes to the connection of the ink supply path, In particular, it is very hard in practice to materialize a simple construction that satisfies the demands for reliable connection and which is reliable enough to prevent ink leakage and which provides for separation which is easy enough to allow effortless replacement of an ink tank.